When Alex Katz began to dedicate his career to portraiture in the 1950s, at a time when most of his contemporaries were making abstract expressionist art, his decision was met with skepticism. Undeterred, he continued down his own path, and today the 81-year-old veteran American artist is one of the most sought-after portraitists, thanks to his highly distinctive, elegant style that sees his stylish subjects often set against monochromatic backgrounds.

This show is presenting some of Katz's latest paintings, where the role of fashion and glamour seem especially underscored. For Katz tends to depict friends, fellow artists, actors, models and celebrities from his privileged entourage in the United States. In this regard, there is also an aspect of social commentary in his work. The figures in his paintings are mostly wearing black, sophisticated yet nonchalant clothes and have sleek hair, yet their faces typically betray little emotion. The atmosphere that we are invited to observer is cool and detached.